


Stay with me

by TetrodotoxinB



Series: Whumptober 2019 [17]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Am I pleased with myself, Cave in, Day 17, Explosions, How many times can I use the prompt in the fill, Is it overkill, Prompt: Stay with me, Quite, The answer is 3, Whumptober 2019, concussion, potentially, tunnels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 02:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21067601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TetrodotoxinB/pseuds/TetrodotoxinB
Summary: Mac needs to work on this whole "staying with Jack" thing.





	Stay with me

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by [Secret_Library98](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Secret_Library98/pseuds/Secret_Library98).

They crouch as they hurry down the tunnel, their heads barely clearing the ceiling. Behind them, Mac can hear their pursuers’ footsteps hurrying after them.

“We need another exit strategy,” Mac whispers to Jack’s back.

“No shit,” Jack grumbles as they take another blind turn as per Riley’s instructions.

The footsteps seem to be gaining on them and Mac knows that unless they find an alternate route, one that these guys aren’t aware of, that they’re going to be caught long before they can escape. “We need a diversion,” Mac announces.

“No, no, no, no, no. I don’t like the sound of that,” Jack argues.

“We’ve got to,” Mac shoots back as he digs into his backpack for something useful.

“We don’t gotta do anything except get out of here alive. You just stay with me and don’t go doing anything stupid,” Jack orders.

And while Mac appreciates Jack’s optimism, it’s not realistic. Running isn’t going to get them anything but captured and later shot. Confident that he has everything he needs to stop, or at least slow, their pursuers, Mac slows and then, when Jack doesn’t seem to notice, he stops altogether.

It’ll only take a few seconds to finish putting everything together and Mac works quickly. He presses a length of C4 along the top of a support beam, squishes the blasting cap into the mess, and runs the det cord down and away from the explosives as far as he can. It’s not far, and he still has to light the det cord by hand meaning that he can’t get entirely clear of the blast. But Mac can see the men chasing them, even in the low light, so he lights the det cord, and runs.

*****

Jack realizes that Mac isn’t behind him a split second before the blast wave knocks him flat on his ass. The searing heat that blows down the tunnel burns Jack’s lungs, and his eyes feel so dry that blinking is almost impossible. But before he can even get to his feet, Jack’s mind is on Mac.

“Mac!” he screams, running back down the tunnel. His ears are ringing and Jack can’t even hear himself, much less what he assumes is a chorus of screaming in his comms, but he can’t help calling for Mac in hopes of something.

Fifty or sixty yards back down the tunnel, Jack sees the beginnings of a cave in. Chunks of rock litter the floor and dust fills the air, making it hard to breathe. Jack pulls his shirt up over his face to filter out some of the particulate and shines his head lamp around in search of Mac. After a moment, Jack finds him half-buried and nearly face-down under a pile of red clay dirt and limestone rubble. 

“Mac! Oh, God. Shit, Mac, come on. Talk to me,” Jack pleads. He digs, throwing rocks and scooping away handfuls of dirt, excavating Mac as he works.

Under his hands, Jack can feel the steady rise and fall of Mac chest, can feel the fast but strong beating of Mac’s heart. As he exposes more and more of his friend’s body from the debris, Jack checks Mac over for injuries, and to his surprise, he finds only a few.

At some point, Jack registers the voices in his ear, clamoring for his attention.

“I’m fine, a little deaf. Mac’s alive but unconscious,” he reports.

The voices, which are still unintelligible, stop for a moment. Jack pulls Mac free of the rubble and carefully rolls him onto his back. He checks Mac’s nose and opens his mouth, using his fingers to clear the dirt that threaten to choke him were he to get any of it in his throat.

“Come on, Mac,” Jack says. He rubs his knuckles roughly against Mac’s sternum. It’ll bruise like hell and be sore for a couple weeks, but Jack needs him to wake up. 

After about ten seconds, Mac groans and tries to swat at Jack’s hand. Jack catches Mac’s hand and moves it out of the way as he continues to rub. 

“There you go, Mac. Come on, baby. Stay with me,” Jack encourages. 

Mac’s head lolls on the floor and he groans again.

“Stop,” he mumbles and Jack’s happy to oblige.

“Can you move?” Jack asks.

“Maybe,” Mac slurs.

“Yeah, okay. Well, let’s start by opening your eyes,” Jack encourages. 

Mac blinks and recoils from the light of Jack’s headlamp. His eyes are unfocused, pupils wide, and Jack knows that Mac needs medical ASAP. 

“If it’s alright, I’m gonna pick you up. You just help me the best you can, ‘cause we gotta get out of here.” 

As carefully as he can, Jack slips his hands under Mac’s arms and lifts him to sitting and then standing. Mac grimaces in pain and stumbles the moment he’s upright. 

“Easy there, Mac. Easy does it,” Jack coaxes. He pulls Mac’s left arm over his shoulders, and wraps his right arm around Mac’s waist. 

“Riles, what’s the ETA on exfil? We’re gonna need medical because Mac’s an idiot, over.”

“After your delay, exfil is already waiting. I called ahead and they do have a medic and will reroute to the nearest safe hospital,” Riley informs him loudly.

“Great, thanks, Riley,” Jack replies.

As they limp down the passageway, Mac mumbles, “I don’t think they’re following us anymore.”

Jack can’t believe his ears because when will Mac finally get it through his head that running off on his own isn’t smart. “Man, I swear to God. Next time, just stay with me, alright?”


End file.
